Living with Eyes and Heart Wide Open
Alright, I can’t take it anymore. If I don’t write something I will explode! My last blog post was about a challenge my husband and I were taking to rid our lives of unnecessary distractions in order to focus on God. We wanted to make sure we are pleasing Him and living up to the purposes He created us for each and every day. We were not perfect with our, “no distraction,” rules but the life lessons we have learned have changed us. How blessed I feel to always have conviction and feel the current going up-stream getting stronger. Though it may be difficult to endure…I know He is always working. I trust confidently that He makes all things good on the other side.
Before our challenge, I had been so self and inward focused. I am ashamed to say that there have been many opportunities that I have lost to encourage, to help, to befriend, and show others Christ. This includes my own children and family. Ya see, all of the little distractions of this “normal life” are not necessary and are only a ploy to pull us away from what we are here for. Sure, God wants us to take pleasure in our blessings. But does that include hurrying through bedtime prayers with your kids to not miss your tv show that comes on at 8? Ouch…guilty. It is precious moments like this that God has helped us to reclaim in our life since we have started to weed out distractions.
What about Facebook and all computer related stuff? I have occasionally gotten on to research something (Once the children are in bed) and have occasionally gotten on to message someone back. I didn’t consider myself a computer junkie until I was “unplugged” for a while. I never realized how many brain cells I was taking up just by looking at pictures posted or comments people were making all through the day! I was ALWAYS multitasking in my brain about what so and so was doing or how cute their baby looked in that picture etc… Not that all this is necessarily a bad thing, but when it is a distraction from the faces in front of you, it is a dangerous tool satan can use to keep your eyes down. What a relief we have felt by simply freeing our minds and eyes to be intentional about what we are looking at and who we can be helping.
What about blogging? Oh man, I have missed it! God has shown me that sharing my heart on here is something I am very passionate about. However, I will no longer be giving myself deadlines. I have always written from my heart, but I will have to make sure thee needs of others around me are met first before I go crazy on here.
I long to encourage, and inspire, and to show the world that there really are people trying just like you… in the same boat, and walking in your shoes. There is still so much joy in all of the hatred in this world. I intend on spreading it around. That is our job.
Have any y’all had to do any life reassessments lately? What did you learn? I would love to hear about it!
I have missed this!!!!!
Removing Distractions
Well y’all…yesterday morning at church, Tim and I were CONVICTED! Our pastor preached on the story of Mary and Martha. This is a story I have heard many times and I always remind myself to slow down and focus on what is most important.
I can usually do this for maybe an hour, then life comes charging at me.
We have decided as a family to put aside all distractions for a while in order to be a “Mary,” and sit at Jesus’s feet. We wrote a long list of all our distractions and are throwing them out in order to listen to God to help us prioritize our life.
I will be taking a little blogging break among many other things to clear my mind from all the junk I have allowed myself to take in and refill it with all the truth from Jesus.
I encourage you to also think of all the ways you are spending your time. Perhaps we all need a life detox to shift focus and perspective back to the Creator of it all.
He is waiting…
To The Grown Up Bully
To the grown up bully, (the world)
You come in many different forms. You search through all areas of my life to intimidate me and make me feel less, so you can feel more. You are like high school on steroids always trying to be the first and last to talk. You question my kids, my parenting, the foods I eat, my right to home school, my right to vaccinate or not, my right to protect my children, my right to save my money, my right to have a larger family, and even my right to drive an older car. When we disagree you make sure Facebook is the first to hear. You love to pick fights over abortion, gay rights, vaccinations, and any other controversial subject under the moon, yet know little about the side you are fighting for. Instead of having adult conversation where two may disagree you want to raise your voice and call people uneducated idiots. Don’t dare let anyone make a mistake near you, you would throw the first stone…
I am here to say to you, grown up bully, I am not afraid of you. I may be short with a quiet, country voice but whatever agenda you have against me and everyone else you try to back in a corner is not going to work. We don’t have to be loud or obnoxious to get you to stop. We only have to quietly go about our business, God’s business. It drives you crazy when we don’t get back in your face. You loose your fight and are made to watch us as we pray to God to give us grace to lead a life less traveled.
The next time, grown up bully, you don’t agree with me how about doing your research, walk a mile in my shoes, look from a different perspective, or simply ask me “why.”
We all have convictions and reasons why we stand behind what we believe. Let’s stop bullying one another for thinking differently. Instead, let’s educate and converse. Share and exchange. Give and take.
As Christ followers we have the chance to point to God, let’s be sure we aren’t pointing toward ourselves while trying to do so.
Five Ways To Make Childhood Magical
Photo courtesy of Arztsamui/freedigitalphotos
“This is the only childhood they have. Let’s give them some awesome stories to share with their children when they grow up with their own families. Let it be about catching lightning bugs, watching fireworks, throwing rocks in the creek, climbing trees, building forts, playing board games, praying for their dead chicken (it happened) This is what will carry them to do the same for their children. This can give a generation of children a childhood where they don’t have to grow up so fast and can enjoy and relish in the sweet times that so quickly pass by….”
Join me over at A Mamas Story today to continue reading my top five tips to make childhood special!
Sisters…A Force To Be Reckoned
Let me tell you about these two.
July 24th 2014
They are a set of inseparable best friends. They stay up way past bedtime every night sharing giggles in their room. They wake up early together with ideas and schemes for tea parties and something new to celebrate that day. They color together, swing on the swing set together, run through the sprinkler together, eat together, watch movies together, and usually try to drive me crazy together:) There is a bond there that will never be broken.
I am confident in the fact that satan will always try to tear up this dynamic duo. But I know a God that is stronger and He knows my prayer to mend their hearts together to achieve great and mighty things in His name.
Well, yesterday satan got a smack down…
As I watched from a far at 7:30 in the morning, still in their pajamas, on our living room couch, Willow led Zoe to the Lord.
I had the blessing and privilege to see them looking through their picture Bible together. I saw two little heads bowed with eyes closed as Zoe repeated the sinners prayer after her big sister.
Soon after that Zoe told me that Jesus IS in her heart, and that she believes He died on the cross for her so she could go to heaven:)
These two girls now have a spiritual bond that with God can move mountains. The devil better look out because these sisters are a force to be reckoned with. They have a praying Momma and Daddy behind them and the spirit of the Lord inside them.
3 John 1:4 I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth…
My New Fave, The Lilla Rose Flexi Clip
So let me be perfectly honest, I am not a fancy jewelry or accessory type of girl. When it comes to my hair it’s either in a pony tail or I have a couple of bobby pins stuck in it somewhere. That is until I got this beautiful little package in the mail.
This Lilla Rose flexi clip is absolutely perfect for the practical momma like me who needs her hair up quickly, yet also needs to be reminded that she is in fact a girl! As I shopped for the flexi clip I wanted I was amazed at the abundance to choose from. Check out the different styles! Once I looked at it my first thought was, “How in the world do I put it in my hair and expect it to stay?” Let me tell ya, I pulled my hair back with it in five seconds and it STAYED without slipping the entire rest of the day. With 4 little ones you can only imagine how active I was all day.
It gets better, the next day I wore my hair differently with the same clip and my hair still did not fall out of it. Through my research on their website they have clips for every type of hair length and texture and even provide videos to help you pick out the one right for you.
Needless to say these are my new favorite hair accessories. It saves me time, aggravation, and helps me looked put together on those days when everything else is falling apart. I plan on purchasing some more for my little girls, birthday presents, and Christmas presents. Click on the link to check it our for yourself! Lilla Rose
A special thanks to Elizabeth Ours for letting me try out the flexi clip so I can share with my readers how awesome they are!
I Found My Dream Homestead!
Have you ever had a dream that you have prayed to God to fulfill? I have! For as long as I can remember I have wanted a small farm or homestead to call our own and raise our family. At certain times it was all I could think about. Looking online for land, watching gardening videos, and watching food documentaries are my usual pastime. My husband and I have had numerous discussions on when and where we should build our homestead.
Friday afternoon while the kids and I were outside in the garden and my husband was at the fire station I had an epiphany. I am at my perfect, dream homestead. The Lord has answered my prayer. Not in the way I thought or imagined but I AM LIVING MY DREAM. The Lord has been working on my heart in showing me true contentment. I pulled out a piece of paper and pen and began to jot down all that we had accomplished toward self sustainability with a fresh set of eyes.
I was floored when I looked around our yard with my change in perspective. In all of my searching for a homestead we had been building one all along. We have already come a long way in our journey. How did I miss this? I learned that during all the searching…it may be right in front of you the entire time.
Wen I looked around me I no longer saw just our yard… I saw the Styron Homestead!
Here is a glimpse..
We live on a corner one acre lot with a 1700 sq ft 30-year-old home.
We have four children and home school the ones old enough for school. We spend our days outside playing or making new things in the kitchen from scratch.
To the side of our house we have a 10×20 heirloom organic garden that we started from seeds in our basement.
Beside our garden we have a 5×7 hand-made compost bin made from wood pallets.
To the back we have a chicken tractor made from scrap materials by my husband with 4 egg laying chickens.
We have 2 bee hives and got our first quart of fresh raw honey this year.
We use our basement as a root cellar for bulk food storage that we have purchased from local coops as well as a large freezer for local grass-fed meat.
We have a wheat grinder to make our own flour for homemade breads.
We buy raw milk from local farmers.
We make all of our own cleaning supplies and detergents.
We make all of or own toothpaste, deodorant, and lotions.
We have 3 large raised beds for herbs that we use for cooking as well as for medicinal purposes.
Yes, I am aware there is a creepy boy head statue in this pic. It is a family inside joke!
Our goals for the future are to extend our garden and add-on a greenhouse. We want to start a worm bin to add to our compost endeavours. I want to learn the art of canning and making fermented foods. I would also love to start raising chickens for meat. I want to maximize what God has given instead of looking for better. I want or homestead to reach its potential and the only way to do that is by focusing on what we DO have not what we DON’T. Oh man, this lesson applies to many areas in my life:)
What about you? Do you have any dreams that are waiting at your doorstep?
Sharing this with: The Prairie Homestead, A Mama’s story, Raising Arrows, The Modest Mom, What Joy is Mine, Growing Home, Time Warp Wife, Thankful Homemaker, Mamal Diane, Teaching What is Good, Mom’s the word, conerstone cofessions, A proverbs 31 wife, Some of the best things in life are mistakes, Let this mind be in you, A Wise Woman Builds her home, Deep Roots at Home, Graced Simplicity, Raising Homemakers, Women Living Well, Hope in Every Season, Jill’s Home remedies, Little Natural Cottage, Our simple country Life, Raising Mighty Arrows, The Purposeful Mom, Happy and Blessed Home, Homemaker by Choice, Your Thriving Family, My Joy Filled Life. New Life Steward, Hometead simple, Let this Mind Be in You,
10 Tips To Help Siblings Welcome A New Baby
I am thrilled to be doing a guest post over at the Life of Faith today! Go check it out…
Be Still
Today I am going to be still and know that He is God. Let me tell ya, I have been running around lately full of anxiety. From potty training, getting home school curriculum, loosing baby weight, and constant housework. I fear that my babies will only have memories of their momma’s back as I run from one task to the next.
I want to be PRESENT today. I want to REMEMBER today. I want to read to them, laugh with them, play a game with them, and pull them on my lap. The mess, the dishes, the shoes on the floor can all stay a bit longer. It’s time for BALANCE. It’s time to place my cares at the throne of Jesus. It’s time to be still and let Him work it out while I love and teach these little blessings!
A little love from my heart today:)
16 Ways To Stay Broke
Photo courtesy of David Castillo Dominici/ Freedigitalphotos
1) Watch your friends and try to buy everything they do, but better.
2) Only purchase vehicles with fewer than 50,000 miles and less than 1-year-old.
3) Only purchase a house with at least two more bedrooms than you need with every family member having at least 500 sq. ft. to themselves.
4) Only buy name brands.
5) Remind yourself daily how hard you work and how much you deserve what you want.
6) Don’t think about the future, live for the here and now.
7) Don’t delay your gratification.
8) Tell yourself the good old saying “You can’t take it with you.” This way you won’t feel bad having nothing to pass down to your children.
9) You must go on vacation…out of town…at least a couple of nights.
10) It’s only one coffee drink a day, that’s nothing.
11) Sales Shmales! Ain’t nobody got time to wait for that!
12) Seed, straw, irrigation. People are counting on your yard.
13) Forgot Christmas came in December? No problem just charge it.
14) If your coffee table isn’t high enough to hold up your feet, no worries just buy another.
15) Hire someone to do everything you don’t feel like doing or don’t want to learn how to do.
16) Go ahead and add to those student loans. I am sure it will come in handy one of these days.
If you want to stay burdened by your finances, keep spinning your wheels, dig the hole deeper, and stuck forever, then just keep following the plan above.
If you want freedom, a reason to work hard, stability, appreciation, to get traction, and get out of the hole, then do the exact opposite of the list above and watch what God can do.
Sharing this with: The Prairie Homestead, A Mama’s story, Raising Arrows, The Modest Mom, What Joy is Mine, Growing Home, Time Warp Wife, Thankful Homemaker, Mamal Diane, Teaching What is Good, Mom’s the word, conerstone cofessions, A proverbs 31 wife, Some of the best things in life are mistakes, Let this mind be in you, A Wise Woman Builds her home, Deep Roots at Home, Graced Simplicity, Raising Homemakers, Women Living Well, Hope in Every Season, Jill’s Home remedies, Little Natural Cottage, Our simple country Life, Raising Mighty Arrows, The Purposeful Mom, Happy and Blessed Home, Homemaker by Choice, Your Thriving Family, My Joy Filled Life. New Life Steward, Hometead simple, Let this Mind Be in You,
Hey Y'all! My name is Brittany Styron. Sweet Country Roots is a place I hope to encourage, inspire, and bring a chuckle. Grab yourself a cup of coffee and join conversations about marriage, babies, homeschooling, frugal living, good food, and an old fashioned way of thinking.
